Mexico launches special police force to guard economic activity
Mexico launches special police force to guard economic activity
By Anahi Rama
MEXICO CITY Fri Aug 22, 2014 4:35pm EDT
Aug 22 (Reuters) - Mexico on Friday launched a scaled-back version of a new police force President Enrique Pena Nieto had vowed to create while on the campaign trail to safeguard businesses against rampant organized crime.
Pena Nieto originally promised to create a 40,000-member Gendarmerie Division to take the lead in tackling violent crimes such as extortion and kidnapping, given that poorly paid security forces have been easy targets for the cartels to infiltrate and corrupt.
But the 5,000-member force launched on Friday will be part of the federal police and focus on guarding agriculture, mining, and oil and gas production against criminal groups, said Monte Alejandro Rubido, director of the National Security Commission.
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Around 100,000 people have died and more than 20,000 have disappeared since former President Felipe Calderon in 2006 sent in the military to fight the cartels, which led to greater violence.
More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/22/mexico-security-idUSL2N0QS12U20140822?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews&rpc=401
